The Iowa Standard has been covering the Britt Library Board’s decision to keep a book called “This Book Is Gay” available on its shelves for anyone with a library card to check out. If you aren’t familiar with the book, check out these stories:
*Waukee, Iowa City high schools, public libraries across Iowa stock groomer book causing major controversy in Florida
*High school library book warns kids not to leave internet windows open with ‘films of a certain persuasion,’ suggests how to argue with Christians and Muslims
*Sex Apps advice. Saunas and sex parties. Ins and outs of gay sex. How is this book in school and public libraries in Iowa not obscene?
The Iowa Standard attended this week’s Britt Library Board meeting where further discussion was held about the book. Frankly, what we learned was shocking. You can read more details about that meeting here:
The most shocking news we heard at the Britt Library Board meeting was the fact that, of those asked, none of the board members read the book “This Book Is Gay” before they voted to keep it. We asked four of them. That makes a majority.
We had previously filed an open records request with the library and the city seeking all records about the book from a certain date. All we received in response was the official challenge of the book, an agenda for the Sept. 17 board meeting where they voted to keep the book and minutes of the Sept. 17 board meeting.
That was it.
After Wednesday night’s meeting, it became clear there were still more questions than answers. So I went back and reviewed the official challenge of the book.
That form said the Britt Library adheres to the Association for Rural and Small Libraries’ Access to Information Standard and the principles of intellectual freedom outlined in the American Library Association Library Bill of Rights, the Freedom to Read Statement and the Freedom to View Statement.
At the bottom of the form, it said the resource would be reviewed and then the library board would make a decision. That decision would be final and the resource wouldn’t be reviewed again for 10 years.
Yet I couldn’t get the timeline of events to square in my head.
*Sept. 12: The official challenge was filed
*Sept. 17: The library board made its decision
This means that between Sept. 13-16, the review process was completed. It means that the 272-page book was reviewed for reconsideration over the span of just a few days. And if every day was used to review the book, an entire weekend was spent doing so.
Considering the timeline, I submitted another open records request with the city attorney. I asked early Friday morning for the Britt Library policy for book reconsideration. I informed the city attorney I’d be publishing this story Friday afternoon, so I’d appreciate having the policy as soon as possible.
I included the library director, library, city council members and city clerks on the email hoping one of the 11 people would have the policy at their ready to send.
Nobody did.
One of the key items missing from my records request was any recommendation from any review committee or review process for the “Ins and Outs of Gay Sex” book.
Considering four of the seven board members didn’t say they read the book prior to voting to keep it, I sent the following questions to the city attorney:
*What is the policy for reconsideration at the Britt Public Library?
*Who made up the reconsideration committee for “This Book Is Gay?”
*Where are the written findings of the reconsideration committee?
*Is it standard practice for the library board members NOT to review/read the work they are voting to reconsider?
I researched the Association of Rural and Small Libraries policies regarding reconsideration. The organization has a handy checklist for challenge procedures:
*Formal recommendation of retention, reclassification or removal (Not submitted to my records request, does it exist?)
*Has every member of the committee read the material entirely? If not, why?
